By Akani Nkuna

University of Cape Town is leading the charge in healthcare innovation in the Global South with its game-changing clinical support tool known as the Practical Approach to Care Kit (PACK) programme.

The programme comprises clinical guidance, an implementation strategy, health systems strengthening and monitoring and evaluation components.

UCT spokesperson Velisile Bukula said that “with primary healthcare systems globally facing mounting challenges, such as increased co-morbidities, changing climate-driven disease patterns and infectious diseases outbreaks, PACK offers a critical lifeline”.

PACK, which was developed by UCT’s Knowledge Translation Unit has achieved widespread adoption in South Africa as primary adult care and in Ethiopia’s Primary Healthcare Clinical Guidelines. It is now being implemented in Brazil and Indonesia. 

“Through PACK, UCT continues to demonstrate leadership in healthcare innovation, improving patient outcomes and empowering primary healthcare workers across the Global South,” Bukula said in a statement on Monday.

Recent publications in BMJ Global Health journal feature PACK’s pivotal role in fostering sustainable, high-quality primary care across varied contexts, showcasing successful implementation experiences, including in:

• Chronic Respiratory Disease Management in Brazil;

• National Scale-Up in Ethiopia;

• Infectious Diseases Outbreak Response in Brazil and;

• Care for Multiple Long-Term Conditions.

“Initiatives like PACK exemplify UCT’s vision 2030 goal to ‘unleash human potential to create a fair and just society’, by addressing critical healthcare needs across diverse communities,” said Bukula.

“PACK empowers health workers to provide equitable, high-quality care, bridging gaps in health care access across the Global South,” he added.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Martina van Heerden

It can be difficult to tell someone what you think of their work, even if you mean well and even if you think they’re doing a good job. Sometimes the person doesn’t understand what you mean, or doesn’t respond the way you’d hoped.

Feedback should contribute to learning, but you might sometimes wonder if it’s any use at all.

South African university lecturer Martina van Heerden studied the art of giving feedback to students in higher education. Her insights and three top tips are useful for effective communication in many areas of life.

Why did you decide to study feedback?

As a tutor, I initially did not get training on how to give feedback to students on their essays. After a while, I started thinking more about what exactly I was trying to say and do with my feedback. For example, if I told a student “your argument lacks depth”, was I just telling the student to make a stronger argument in this essay, or was there a “deeper message”?

So, in my PhD, I explored “what lies beneath” our feedback. What I found is that often feedback has very specific messages for students, largely about what is valued in a particular context; what the student is expected to know in that discipline.

Feedback is a big concern in higher education globally. It is fairly well researched and most research identifies various problems with it. Students don’t seem to take up the feedback, or there are different understandings of its purpose, or it’s not as effective as it should be because of academic language and conventions. The blame tends to be put on students.

I wondered if the problem lay instead with how educators approach and give feedback.

Focusing on English literature studies, I analysed written comments given to first year students and worked with the tutors giving the feedback. English literature is a tricky discipline to give feedback in as it involves balancing language, literature and academic literacy aspects. Focusing too much on one aspect in feedback could mislead students.

What did you find?

There was a bit of misalignment between the purpose and the practice of feedback.

Ideally, the underlying message of feedback in literature studies should be to develop students’ ability to think critically and analytically about texts. It could do this, for example, by asking questions that stimulate thinking around the topics and themes of the text (rather than asking students to merely provide more information on it).

Most of the feedback in my study, however, focused on correcting surface-level errors like grammar and spelling. Although there is nothing wrong with this in itself, it could mislead students about what is valued in the discipline.

Feedback is often quite frustrating for both students and educators – both research and practice wisdom attest to this. Educators are frustrated because students don’t seem to learn from feedback, and students are frustrated because they are getting what they feel is unhelpful feedback. These are global concerns. There is a big discrepancy between how useful educators and students perceive feedback to be.

My work and other research highlights the importance of seeing feedback as a literacy – that is, as a skill – that needs to be developed deliberately.

Too often, it is assumed that educators will know how to give effective feedback, or it is assumed that students will know what to do with feedback. But a lot of the time, they don’t – we go by our instincts and what is perhaps easier to identify and correct. For feedback to actually “feed forward” – beyond a specific essay or task – the skill needs to be developed.

How can people give better feedback?

I recommend asking yourself three questions:

1) What do I want to achieve with my feedback? Ask yourself if you just want to help students pass this essay or do well in this task, or if you want them to learn something. If they need to learn something, what should they learn?

2) How understandable is my feedback language? The language of feedback may be steeped in academic, professional, or industry terms which you take for granted. Or you may have developed your own feedback shorthand. This might be easy for you to understand – you’re the one writing it – but that doesn’t mean a student will. So, ask yourself whether someone who is not you would understand your feedback.

3) What do I want my students to do with my feedback? Too often, comments don’t really give students guidance on what to do. Correcting errors and making statements about students’ work takes agency and action away from students. Using questions and suggestions means that students become more active in the feedback process.

Feedback is important for learning and development. Too often, though, it becomes another obstacle that has to be overcome. Useful, clear, actionable feedback can help students become better writers, researchers, thinkers and scholars.

Van Heerden is a Senior Lecturer in English for Educational Development, University of the Western Cape

This article was originally published in The Conversation

By Edwin Naidu

Unlocking opportunities for youth imperative, says Deputy Minister

By Edwin Naidu

Higher Education Deputy Minister Dr Mimmy Gondwe has been mentoring young leaders and driving crucial national issues while serving in Parliament’s portfolio committees of public service and administration, and public enterprises.

In her role since the Government of National Unity (GNU) took office on 3 July, Gondwe says she wants to be remembered as a leader who took active steps to address high unemployment among the youth.

According to Stats SA, the unemployment rate for people aged 15-24 was 60.8% in the second quarter of 2024, and for those aged 25–34, it was 41.7%. This is higher than the national unemployment rate of 33.5%.

Gondwe has reached out to her counterparts at the Employment and Labour Department to consider how to tackle these challenges, ensuring that skills and opportunities for the youth are unlocked, and are in line with the priorities of the GNU.

The new administration aims to drive inclusive growth and job creation, reduce poverty and tackle the high cost of living.

In a recent media session, the deputy minister said she could not wait to get started in her role and assume responsibility for issues related to gender-based violence, legal matters affecting the department, higher education private institutions, and oversight of two Sector Education Training Authorities, the Energy and Water Seta (WSETA) and Fibre Processing and Manufacturing Seta (FP&M Seta).

Her responsibilities given by Higher Education and Training Minister Nobuhle Nkabane include political oversight of work-placed learning programmes.

Gondwe believes that the tertiary sector can no longer measure its success in terms of certificates and diplomas issued.

She challenged the sector to rather measure how well it was doing by how many of their former students were now employed or running their own businesses.

Gondwe, who has been a DA MP since 2019, is deeply rooted in academia, with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Philosophy degree from the University of Cape Town, a Bachelor of Laws degree from Rhodes University, and a Master and Doctor of Laws in Mercantile Law degrees, both from the University of Stellenbosch.

While studying towards her PhD, Gondwe was awarded a number of scholarships and grants in recognition of her academic achievements.

She has a rich professional background in the legal, academic and political spheres, but wants to ensure as a government leader that her work impacts the narrative in the country.

She firmly believes that given the tools, South Africa’s youth will make the country proud, citing the example of two Orbit TVET college students in Rustenburg winning an AI top prize in Tanzania.

The students from Orbit are beneficiaries of the college’s new facility, a new groundbreaking R5-million Smart Skills Centre built by the Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (CHIETA).

The centre opened in May to bridge the digital skills divide and accelerate the development of basic digital skills for a future-fit workplace as part of the CHIETA strategy to innovate for impact in societies nationwide.

Katlego Sebejane, 22, and Kenosi Rakhalane, 21, who are both from Letlhabile in Brits in the North West, won the African Elevate Competition, an online event hosted on 17 October.

Their prize was in recognition of their app which translated sign language into text, therefore, bridging the gap between the deaf community and those unfamiliar with sign language.

They received US$5000 (about R88,000) for first prize.

Gondwe praised the two young learners for winning the top prize and called on other TVET colleges to be deliberate about producing skills that were needed and demanded by the contemporary economy, such as robotics and AI.

“This award is a testament to how skills in fields like AI, robotics, and coding are shaping the future. It’s especially encouraging to see young women excelling in these fields.

“The two young ladies’ accomplishments also highlight the growing importance of AI in addressing societal challenges. I have always believed that young people are innovative and have in them the solutions for many of the challenges our country faces. This app is one such example,” the minister said.

Gondwe said education was not an end, “but a means to an end”.

“That end is to help the learner find a job or to be economically productive as an entrepreneur and an employer. That is why we must measure whether those who have been through our institutions of higher education do have jobs or are themselves employers of others.”

And she wants to lead the way in creating opportunities, saying that due to the huge demand for information, she has established a help desk to provide students in the Post-School and Education Sector with a platform to raise their various concerns.

There’s much to do, but Gondwe is committed to partnerships to unlock the potential of South Africa’s youth.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

The University of Johannesburg has less than two weeks to provide the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education with a detailed report on academic fraud.

The committee met several stakeholders at the university this week to discuss governance and administrative matters, and allegations of academic misconduct involving a former employee.

The meeting, which included university management, the Student Representative Council (SRC) and the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (Nehawu), was prompted by concerns over allegations of academic fraud uncovered during a forensic investigation.

The investigation revealed that postgraduate students were allegedly awarded marks for incomplete subjects and granted diplomas without meeting academic requirements.

The committee expressed deep concern regarding the handling of the allegations, particularly focusing on the former employee who has claimed unfair targeting prior to their dismissal.

While this individual resigned amid the controversy, the committee questioned why they were the only one facing consequences, with no formal charges brought against other implicated individuals or the students who benefited from the alleged misconduct.

“The full extent of this issue remains unknown, raising concerns about potential fraud in undergraduate and other postgraduate programmes. Ignoring this serious matter is unacceptable,” committee chair Tebogo Letsie said in a statement.

While addressing the allegations, the committee acknowledged UJ’s commendable achievements, including its ranking as the sixth-best institution in the country for research output and first for publications issued.

It also praised UJ for initiatives such as upgrading its residences, providing a free inter-campus bus service and transitioning to electric buses.

However, during the discussions, the SRC raised concerns about safety near campus boundaries, particularly at the Doornfontein campus, citing issues of crime and the scarcity of affordable student housing. This has led to overcrowding and extended waiting lists for university residences.

Also, mental health challenges among students were highlighted, exacerbated by academic pressures and insufficient counselling resources.

The committee found the SRC’s presentation lacking, particularly in addressing the challenges faced by students reliant on the National Student Financial Aid Scheme.

The committee recommended that the SRC provide a more comprehensive overview of these issues in future engagements.

Nehawu brought attention to a Council on Higher Education report that indicated that UJ has the highest-paid Vice-Chancellor and several other top officials, pointing to significant disparities in remuneration within the institution.

In light of the serious allegations and the need for transparency, the committee has requested UJ to provide written explanations regarding the academic fraud and related matters.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Levy Masiteng

In a major boost to school sports in Gauteng, education and sport MEC Matome Chiloane has donated equipment to 150 schools.

It forms part of the province’s flagship School Sport Wednesday League programme, which targets identified no-fee schools, including those for learners with special educational needs.

They received 75 football kits and 75 netball kits, including playing kits, balls, bibs, whistles and watches.

The ceremony took place at the Brixton Multipurpose Centre in Johannesburg, where Chiloane emphasised that schools played a vital role in nurturing talent that could become national assets.

“We have resolved that every school should have an extracurricular programme and every learner shall participate in any of the activities within the programme, which will be included in the academic report at the end of the year,” he said.

“Everyone including parents, teachers and community leaders need to get behind this young talent starting from the grassroots and make them believe that they can go on to do well and play for big teams including the national teams.”

The MEC proudly pointed out that Gauteng’s young talent was doing well, “which is a testament to the efforts by the province in strengthening school sports and building champions from the grassroots”.

The programme is set to be implemented in 1270 no-fee schools in the province during the mid-term period, with 381 schools already benefiting.

He said earlier this week that by next year, the league would include more sporting codes such as volleyball and basketball, and “creative arts” would also form part of the programme.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Lungile Ntimba 

An 18-year-old man taken in for questioning following the rape of five matric learners from a school in the Mqhekezweni Administrative area, was released on Friday morning 

Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Siphokazi Mawisa said it had been established that he was not linked to the case, and police were still looking for the perpetrators.

Eastern Cape police commissioner Lieutenant General Nomthetheli Mene said police have increased efforts to find the suspects. 

The five Grade 12 learners were sexually assaulted by two armed intruders on Wednesday morning.

The men invaded the pupils’ rented home, where they attacked and robbed them as they were preparing for their exams.

Meanwhile, the province which has been riddled with horrific crime of late, is set to launch its safer festive season operations, under the theme “Combating Crime Through Decisive Police Action and Robust Community Involvement” in Komani.

The launch aims to guarantee communities that the SAPS together with the external stakeholders will continue to embark on high density operations, searches, roadblocks, tracing of wanted suspects and compliance inspections of liquor outlets to ensure safety for all during the festive season.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Amy Musgrave

Deputy President Paul Mashatile has called on industry players to collaborate with government agencies, education institutions and NPOs to develop and deliver skill training programmes that are tailored to the needs of the South African labour market.

Speaking during a question and answer session in the National Assembly on Thursday, Mashatile defended the government looking elsewhere to source critical skills, explaining that the country’s labour supply often did not match certain jobs.

These included management level personnel, engineers, technicians, science and maths educators, and IT experts.

“This means that, in the short term, we must source the requisite high-level skills internationally to support economic growth.

“Therefore, one of the reasons we source the critical skills on the Critical Skills List from outside the republic is because the skills that are offered within the country do not always align with market requirements. Consequently, we are implementing various measures to revolutionise the skills,” he said.

Mashatile was answering a question from the Patriotic Alliance on why if the country was facing record-high unemployment, was it not prioritising local talent and upskilling South Africans.

He said that in response to these challenges, the government was promoting the use of the Critical Skills List in career development for young people, updating its website to showcase occupations in demand and shortages, and communicating the list to universities and TVET colleges to prioritise programmes and qualifications.

“Furthermore, South Africa has implemented various policies, strategies and initiatives to address skills development and to bridge skills gaps in the country.

“Amongst others, these include the National Skills Fund which directs resources towards in-demand occupations and conducts programme assessments to evaluate TVET colleges’ programmes against the Critical Skills List, advising them to review their offerings in light of local contexts,” he said.

Also, the Employment Services South Africa database matched work seekers with job opportunities, bursaries, learnerships and other training options.

“Both the industry and the South African government have crucial roles to play in spearheading skills initiatives to address the skills gap,” Mashatile said.

The state was also implementing the Human Resource Development Council strategy, which aimed to address global competition, poverty reduction and inequality by accelerating development to match supply and demand for a skilled workforce.

The strategy included high and intermediate skill development, and supporting large-scale employment growth through skills training at lower levels.

On the digital skills shortage, the deputy president said the country was offering training opportunities through TVET colleges.

Courses focused on practical digital skills like computer programming, software development, networking and cybersecurity.

“Addressing skills deficiencies and implementing human resource development programmes can strengthen the South African economy.

“By investing in skills development and fostering strategic partnerships, the country can contribute to workforce growth and avoid reliance on outsourced skills, ensuring increased local employment rates,” Mashatile said.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Lungile Ntimba 

An 18-year-old suspect has been taken in for questioning in connection with the rape of five matric learners from a school in the Mqhekezweni Administrative area in the Eastern Cape.

Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Siphokazi Mawisa said on Thursday that the investigation would determine whether he would be charged or released.

Eastern Cape police commissioner Lieutenant General Nomthetheli Mene said the police were working around the clock to ensure that the suspects were brought to book.

He said the provincial head of the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences unit had assembled a team to investigate and apprehend the perpetrators.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Cape education department told Inside Education that the learners were in a place of safety and counselling was being provided.

Spokesperson Vuyiseka Mboxela said that despite the traumatic event, the pupils had opted to continue writing their National Senior Certificate exams.

“… what they are giving the department as a choice, is that they are wanting to write. And, therefore, we are obligated as a department to respect that wish and make sure that we deliver as such. 

“What is currently happening is that they are in a place of safety, they are being given psychosocial support and also… tutors to help them in revision as they are doing Grade 12,” she said.

“Options that they had was one, not to write the papers that were left for them and write them in the following year, or just re-register for the entire year and go back to class. And then the third option was for them to segment their writing, that is if they would have been left with four subjects, they could write two subjects next year and two subjects the other year.

“But what they decided was to just write because they don’t want to miss the year 2024.”

The rapes have sent shockwaves throughout the country, with President Cyril Ramaphosa condemningthis incident of gender-based violence and saying it targeted learners in a critical phase of their young lives and educational journey.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johnathan Paoli

Despite budget constraints, the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement has made additional money available to the education departments, with much of it focusing on infrastructure development.

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has committed to addressing critical infrastructure concerns in the sector, including student housing.

He announced on Wednesday that the government was making a concerted effort to increase the pool of funders to diversify public infrastructure financing through new mechanisms and instruments.

This would include building student housing at six higher education institutions across the country.

Higher Education and Training minister Nobuhle Nkabane said on Thursday that the investment was important as it not only provided students with a physical space to reside, but also fostered a conducive environment for academic achievement.

“This allocation demonstrates a forward-looking approach from the National Treasury,” she said.

Nkabane further reassured students and educational institutions that her department was actively collaborating with the National Student Financial Aid Scheme to streamline the accommodation accreditation process.

This partnership aims to ensure that no student is excluded from accessing necessary housing support due to bureaucratic inefficiencies.

The minister acknowledged the broader economic challenges facing the nation, but expressed confidence that through these strategic investments, there would be sustained improvements in essential areas, including infrastructure development and student support services.

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube highlighted the overall allocations made toward the education sector in the MTBPS, which included a total of R376 million aimed at improving and maintaining educational infrastructure.

The announced adjustments make R20 million available for the provision of workbooks, while R35 million will address the sector’s pressing school infrastructure needs.

In addition, the minister has allocated around R251 million for the Rapid School Building Programme in the Western Cape, which aims to build more accessible and resilient spaces for learning and play, using rapidly scalable construction methods tailored to the needs of local communities.

The minister said the funding would allow for the continued building of new schools and expanding the number of school places available in areas with larger class sizes and a high demand for placement.

An additional R70 million has also been made available to repair school infrastructure damaged by floods.

“While the allocations represent steps in the right direction, the budget pressures faced by provincial education departments continue to pose a significant threat to the delivery of quality education. These pressures have been years in the making due to progressive budget cuts, economic stagnation, and fiscal mismanagement across government,” Gwarube said in a statement.

She said that ultimately education was the foundation of a thriving economy, equipping young people with the skills necessary to become qualified and ultimately contribute to the economy.

“It must, therefore, feature as a critical area of intervention in the coming 2025/26 budget allocations by the National Treasury.”

The minister said in the lead-up to the 20025/26 budget, her department would continue to engage Godongwana on the budget pressures in basic education.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Johannah Malogadihlare

Some of the highest rates of depression and anxiety are reported amongst construction workers, and a paradigm shift is imperative for the industry to realise that psychological wellbeing is just as important as physical wellbeing, according to the Nelson Mandela University.

“The construction industry is among the most accident-prone industries, and among the leading industries with the highest rates of depression and anxiety compared to other industries,” said Dr Mohlomi Raliile and Prof. John Smallwood.

They said that it was also among the leading industries with the highest prevalence of suicide amongst its workforce, at 52.5 per 100,000 for men in contrast to 19.4 per 100,000 for the general male population.

“While this is the case, the focus has primarily been on safety and physical wellbeing.

“Although it is unclear what causes mental ill health among the construction workforce, it is evident that it is triggered by several stressors occurring both at work and outside the workplace environment,” they said in a statement.

The theme for Mental World Health Day earlier this month was: “It is Time to Prioritise Mental Health in the Workplace.”

The two academics said that despite the industry’s inherent demands and challenges, there was a notable lack of systematic understanding and targeted interventions to address mental health issues in the South Africa’s construction industry.

“External factors may result from social, political and economic factors that affect organisational homeostasis, while micro factors could result from poor organisational culture, conflicting role demands, role pressures, trauma, life changes, work overload/underload, job uncertainty, payments, cash flow, lack of work-life balance and personal issues,” they said.

Stress factors were economic, social, work overload and personal issues that could all impact mental health.

“Despite the unknown risk factors, the pathomechanism of mental ill health is intricate and still not fully understood, as it involves a combination of generic, biological and environmental factors,” Smallwood and Raliile said.

Although the percentage of those affected by depression in the construction sector were unknown, they said statistics estimated that one in six people in South Africa suffered from depression, anxiety and substance abuse.

However, it was still important to speak about the issues of mental health in the industry.

“This requires a shift in culture, and a collaborative effort between the employer, the workers, the public and primary health practitioners. Some of the immediate solutions could be achieved through mental health literacy and identification of symptoms in the form of stressors in the workplace,” the academics said.

Financial management programmes and employee assistant programmes could also be drawn up to educate workers struggling with mental health issues.

October is both Careers in Construction Month and Mental Health Awareness Month.

INSIDE EDUCATION